Self-locking wire-reel guard



Sept. 23 1924. 1,509,24fi

O. C. MAHON SELF-LOCKING WIRE REEL GUARD Original Filed May 18 1921 amsw c MNHOA/ Milt 5555 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

OWEN C. MAHON, OF CHA'ITANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

SELF-LOCKING WIRE-REEL GUARD.

Application filed May 18, 1921, Serial No. 470,653. Renewed February 26, 1924.

To all whom it may concern y Be it knownthat I, OWEN G. MAHoN,a citizen of the United Statesoresiding at Ghattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Self-Locking l/Vire-Reel Guards, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to guard means for wire-reels and is adapted to prevent the barbed wire of such reels from coming into injurious contact with the person of the operator winding or unwinding the wire.

An additional object is to provide a wire reel guard adapted to encircle the reel and so mounted as to be readily swung back from the reel when released or automatically locked in place when sprung into guarding position.

An additional object is to provide a w1rereel guard of the character specified having improved means for effecting the look-- ing of the guard in place, the said locking means being automatic in operation.

With the above and other object in view, the invention may be said to reside generally in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention showing the guard in place upon a reelshaft. Figure 2 is a detailed view, partly in section, of the guard-locking means carried by the shaft. Figure 3 is a detailed vlew showing the locking arrangement as viewed from one end of the shaft, the latter being shown in cross-sections. p

In the drawings, the reel shaft to which the guard frame is attached is indicated at 1 and as shown is tubular throughout its length. At a suitable point the shaft is provided with a seat or socket 2 into which the free end of the springing frame is adapted to be received, when in locked position. This seat is formed by depressing a portion of the shaft inwardly of the bore and in a direction cross-wise of the longitudinal axis of the shaft, whereby providing a cavity as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. It is to be noted that in thus forming the seat, the shaft is weakened to no material extent as the shaft remains uncut. The guard is preferably made of a single strip of spring wire formed into a rectangle with the terminals of the wire extending outwardly in space parallel relation to provide pivot-lugs 3 and 4 for engaging opposite sides of the shaft as illustrated to advantage in Figure 1. A pivot-pin 5, passing through the shaft, engages the lugs and provides the pivot or joint about which the frame swivels when swung in the arc of a circle. The guard is disposed laterally of the shaft which is in line with the center or axis of the frame so that the latter projects centrally above and below the shaft. The sides 6 and 7 of the spring frame converge slightly and inwardly towards the center of the frame in order to give a certain amount of spring or resilience to the frame, these sides being normally flexed to move outwardly. The free end 7 is normally flexed so that the seat engaging portion 8 would ordinarily be disaligned with seat 2 when the frame is swung to closing position, the resiliency of the free end 7 being of such extent as to position the portion 8 slightly in advance of the seat.

For clamping the frame in looking position against the shaft a retaining element 9 is provided and so positioned with respect to the seat as to slightly overhang the same as shown in Figure 2. This locking element is provided with a holding shank insertable cross-wise through the shaft and headed, as at 10, to prevent displacement from the shaft. At the opposite end of the shank a flat curved lip 11 is provided and suitably supported in an opening facing outwardly of the shaft adjacent the outer edge of the seat and curved to extend a suitable distance outwardly from and overhanging the seat. This lip is adapted to lie in the path of movement of the frame-end 7 and is provided, at its frame engaging edge with an inclined or beveled surface '12 along which the end of the frame is guided as it springs inwardly towards the shaft. It is to be noted that the inclination of this edge is such that the end of the frame is forced inwardly or backwardly in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 1, until after it is past the inclined edge, after which it is free to react and spring forwardly against the inner curved face of the lip, by which it is guided and held in seat 2. It will thus be seen that the overhanging li of the retaining member causes the yiel able end of the spring frame to automatically give or I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 20 contract in order to pass the retaining member and be seated. But very little pressure will be required to effect this automatic action and the force of the swing when the frame is swung to closing position by the operator, will be sufficient to cause the de-v vice to become locked.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings have reference to what might be considered to be'the approved or preferred form of my invention. I desire it tube-understood, however, that I may make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claim.

' Having thus described my invention, what ters Patent, is

self-locking reel,;gu'ard comprising a shaft having an inwardly depressed portion forming a seat, a spring guard pivoted to said shaft and having its free end engageable. in the seat, a guard retaining element projecting outwardly from the shaft adjacent the seat and havingan overhanging guard-engaging portion provided with an inclined surfacef'or guiding the frame into looking engagement withthe-eeat and retaining member. a a .7 V. v a In testimony whereofl afiix mysignature in presence of two -witi1esses. I

Witnesses: V

J OHN A. SnnLrem 

